Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. This disclaimer also goes for all the following chapters, and not simply this singe one.

Chapter 1

A cougar's scream reverberated through the quiet forest. A blonde head quirked in confusion. There was a yell of surprise, then a loud crash.

"What is a cougar doing attacking Duo? They don't attack humans…"

"Don't question it, Winner!" A black haired man snapped impatiently, drawing a sword. Four people rushed to defend their teammate, weapons drawn. They paused at the scene. Duo Maxwell had the 'cougar' pinned under him, hands behind the person's back.

"It's a kid, Q-ball." Maxwell said, frowning. "Pounced on me from the trees. Freakin' cat." The 'kid' thrashed, growling ferally. With a show of flexibility, he threw off Maxwell and scrambled for a tree. A gunshot rang out and the kid yowled, slipping several feet down the tree trunk. Blood streamed down the kid's leg. He continued to climb, much slower now.

"Can anyone get him down without killing him?" Quatre asked, rubbing at his heart. Heero nodded. By the time he raised his gun again, however, Duo was already half-way up the tree.

"I'll get him!" the braided teen called down, grinning. Heero clicked the safety on his gun with a scowl. He had really wanted to nail the kid…again.

Hunter watched as a man-child moved under his tree, walking calmly. Leaves crunched under his feet. Hunter tensed, then pounced on the man-child with a wild scream. He realized quickly this was not a smart idea as his quarry flipped their positions smoothly, pinning him easily. Four other people rushed to the scene, weapons in hand.

"It's a kid, Q-ball." His 'quarry' told the group, his tone light. "Pounced on me from the trees. Freakin' cat." Hunter growled. He was proud of that! He bucked and twisted, squirming out of the man-child's hold, scrambling up his tree. A loud bang echoed, and Hunter yowled as pain exploded in his knee. Warmth trickled down his leg. He slid several feet back down, the pain in his leg making climbing almost impossible.

One of the other man-children spoke. His voice was warm, like the sun. Hunter wanted to stop and listen to it, but the crunching of leaves told him he had to move, now! He reached a limb to sit on, finally. Hunter gripped at his knee, bending his head to examine the injury. It was odd- a perfect hole in the side of his leg. There was suddenly a voice at his side, startling Hunter. Before he could register the words, momentum and gravity grabbed him and yanked him off the tree branch. Hunter fell twenty feet to the ground. He braced himself for a painful crash, but instead landed in two pairs of arms. They lowered him gently to the forest floor, holding onto his shoulders and calves.

Hunter summoned all of his fading skill with the English language and forced out, "Let go. Please. I not mean hurt. I want defend home." Two of the three people not holding onto him knelt or sat. One remained standing.

"That's why you attacked Duo? You wanted to defend your home?" the one with the warm voice asked. Hunter nodded, breathing quickening. He was in pain, scared, and wanted to go home. The man with the warm voice had kind eyes, Hunter decided, trying to focus on the situation at hand. They were a warm teal, like a stream lit by the sun.

"That's not an excuse. We should have shot you." The standing one growled. He had tousled brown hair and bright, eyes like the sky in high summer. Hunter growled dangerously. Hadn't they already shot him once?

"Calm down. Heero wouldn't do anything like that again. You didn't hurt Duo." The one holding his shoulders muttered. From what Hunter could see, he had dark brown hair swept over one eye. The visible eye was a brilliant green.

"I not mean…" Hunter repeated brokenly.

"I'm fine, kid. What's your name, anyway? I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell at your service. I may run or hide, but I never tell a lie."

"Hunter…my name Hunter." He twitched. "Let me go? I want move…leg hurt." Heero scowled. He had kneecapped the kid, and Hunter could only say it hurt? Other people would be screaming…then he took in the tension in the kid's frame. Fingers were clenched in white-knuckled fists, green-gold eyes were dilated in pain. The teen was quivering minutely.

"You attack anyone, you'll be killed. Clear?" Hunter nodded. Wufei and Trowa released Hunter, who curled into himself. When a stomach growled to his left, Hunter lifted his head with a small, shaky grin.

"You hungry." He stated bluntly to Trowa, who looked away. "Walk in forest long time?"

"Several days. Our plane crashed. There isn't any signal for GPS or cell phones…" Quatre broke off. "We scavenged for food, but there wasn't much left after the fire died down." Hunter nodded.

"I give you place to stay. I give you food?" Duo got to his feet, helping the injured teen off the ground. Hunter shuddered involuntarily from the contact, the feeling strange but not unwelcome. The rest of the pilots watched warily as Hunter scaled a tree with difficulty. "I lead back in trees. You stay on ground. I give…" he thought hard. "…signs?" Duo piped up, "Directions!" Hunter nodded emphatically. The pilots agreed and followed Hunter as he ran through the trees like a monkey. The blood he dripped was a clear enough path for the group, who followed the spots of crimson. When Hunter descended from the trees, they were at a halt in front of a massive redwood. It was large enough that the five teens wouldn't be able to reach all the way around the tree, holding hands.

"Is this tree still alive?" Quatre inquired as Hunter pulled back a flap of hide, allowing the five pilots inside. It had been hollowed out, with small air holes cut through the bark. A small makeshift bed had been made on one side, and on the other there were shelves stacked up. They were all made of rough oak wood, hewn so they would fit like puzzle pieces together.

"Hometree died long ago. It not fall over because too big. Roots go very far down…hold Hometree in." Hunter said, nodding to himself. "It take many suns to cut out. Almost…" he counted on his fingers, "twenty eight suns to make home. Big enough for five people if people friendly." He grinned. "You good friends?" they nodded in bemusement. "Good. You sleep here." He limped painfully outside, presumably to find them food.

"How long do we plan on staying here?" Trowa inquired, looking at the bed. The frame was well constructed, pine boughs covered with tanned hide serving as a springy mattress. "He just gave us his home."

"I don't know." Heero admitted, sinking to the ground. The crash had changed Heero, made him more open, and yet more guarded. The rest of the group sank down around him, Duo leaning on Heero's shoulder. Quatre rested his head against Trowa, and Wufei leaned against the bed.

"Can sleep on bed, silly." Hunter said softly, emerging through the opening. Wufei jumped. "I not need it. Made for when injured."

"You are injured. You should use the bed. It's your home…" Wufei muttered, then stiffened as Hunter lifted and set him on the bed stubbornly. "You friends have others for pillows. I not need one. Go sleep. I be fine." Even as Wufei watched, Hunter limped outside and returned with a dented pot of steaming water. He pulled off his shirt, tore it into pieces, and dunked them in the hot water.

"Leave them there for a while." A sleepy voice informed Hunter, who was about to pull them out. Trowa was watching the uncouth teen calmly. Hunter pulled one out and used it to dab at the blood congealing on his knee. He hissed in pain, then bit his lip in an effort not to wake the other pilots, who were stirring. Hunter reached back into the bucket and began to wrap his knee with the hot, wet strips of cloth. By this point, Wufei and Trowa had nodded off again.

Picking up the bucket, Hunter staggered outside and set the pot over the dying fire. He stoked the fire to a blaze, then got up again. He growled angrily at his own weakness as his leg attempted to give out on him. It would be a long wait for his knee to heal…

"I make tea, I think. Tea and stew…" Hunter grabbed another bucket, filling it a nearby river. From his stores in another tree the teen grabbed dried meat, cups, wild carrots, and a type of plant that tasted a lot like potato. A small bag of stolen salt was added as an after-thought, and he limped back to the fire. He set the boiling water aside, then assembled his stew, using a sharp piece of bone like a knife. The smell of stew had apparently seeped into his tree, because his guests emerged one by one, taking seats around the fire.

"I make tea and stew. Want tea?" when they all nodded, he continued, "I make pine or mint. I not have other tastes from…um…" he paused, "civilization." He said the odd word slowly. "I make from natural things." The pilots looked at each other and shrugged. Hunter poured hot water into the carved bone mugs, then added ground mint leaves to them. "Let sit for few minutes. Taste better."

"How long have you stayed out here, Hunter?" Quatre asked, sipping at the minty water curiously. He hummed as it soothed his parched throat. Hunter stirred the stew thoughtfully, thinking to himself. When he answered, it was hesitant.

"It been long time, I know. I count seasons, not time like you know. For me, nine winters pass. I come in winter. This is tenth winter. I know sixteen winters go since I born." Hunter scooped a piece of carrot out of the stew and ate it. "I go get bowls. Stew is done." Wufei watched Hunter lever himself painfully to his feet.

"I can get them, Hunter. We can help you. Where are they?" Hunter shook his head.

"Guests not help me. You stay and relax. I get them. It my duty." As he moved away, Trowa whispered to Heero, "He's bled through his bandages already, Yuy. Did you have to hit him in the knee? He's not going to let us do anything, which means his knee is going to heal slowly. That means he's that much closer to getting killed by something."

"I could have shot him in the chest, Barton. He could have choked to death on his own blood. Would that be any better?" Wufei, Duo, and Quatre pointedly ignored the bickering pair, talking amongst themselves.

"He's been living by himself for nine years. That would explain his…language difficulty." Quatre said delicately, gulping the tea.

"Wonder how he got out here…and why he won't let us help him." Duo mused.

"He has honour. He thinks guests should not do anything, even when the host is injured." Wufei murmured, draining his mug. Fresh mint was so much better than anything from a bag…

"How can he walk? One of my buddies got kneecapped, and he could barely put weight on it, let alone walk." Duo exclaimed, staring in Hunter's direction. Said invalid emerged a moment later, bearing several beautifully carved bleached bone bowls. When he got to Duo, his knee gave out. Hunter collapsed, swearing in a thick tone. The bowls were caught by Trowa and Duo.

"Sit, Hunter. No protesting." Quatre commanded the teen sternly. Hunter narrowed his eyes but did so. Duo portioned out the stew, pouring it carefully into each bowl. Heero stared at the food suspiciously. Hunter growled defensively before taking an obvious sip.

"Not poison. I eat from same pot." He turned to the rest of the crew. "I sorry if not like. I make different if not like. It take certain person to like some food." He paused, then retrieved a handful of rough spoons. "I make for when I have company. Many people get lost in woods. I help sometimes." The others shrugged, then dug into their own stew. When Hunter made to stand and clean out the bowls, a dark glare from both Trowa and Quatre kept him down.

"Just tell us what to do, Hunter."

"Reheat water from tea if done. Wait till water's hot, then put empty bowls and spoons in. Take pot off fire and wait until water's cold." Duo grinned at the reluctant teen.

"Was that so hard?"

"Yes." Even Heero chuckled at Hunter's playful scowl. Once the bowls were sterilized and put away, Duo asked, "What do you do between eating? It must be dull…"

"Explore. Stock food for winter. Chop wood. Play flute." Hunter started unwinding the crude bandaging from his knee, grimacing. The cloth had stuck to his wound. Hunter poured the cold water out into the trees, then attempted to lurch to his feet. Heero sighed, stole the bucket from Hunter, and strode off to the stream. He returned a minute later, full bucket in hand. Hunter rubbed at his eyes.

"You not let me do anything now…I not weak!" he turned to rouse the fire, and found it blazing. Trowa looked away innocently, discreetly scattering the tinder he had previously held. Hunter growled irritably and yanked at the bandaging, which separated painfully from his knee. Heero set the water over the fire while Duo, Quatre, and Wufei watched Hunter have a minor temper tantrum.

"We know you're not weak, Hunter. We just enjoy doing things to make others' lives easier. That includes helping you." Trowa pointed out reasonably. Hunter grunted and finished yanking the bloody bandages from his knee. It was swollen and red. When Trowa moved forward, Hunter retreated defensively, pulling his leg underneath him.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Hunter. I just want to make sure the bullet isn't still in wound. If it is, it won't heal." When Hunter extended his leg warily, Trowa nodded to Heero subtly. Heero and Wufei lunged forward, pinning Hunter to the ground. Quatre slid Hunter's head into his lap, running calming fingers through the tangled mess that was his hair. He ignored the oil and dirt matted in Hunter's hair, de-tangling it patiently.

Hunter whimpered piteously. Quatre hummed a tune under his breath, reminding himself that Hunter probably hadn't been touched, kindly or otherwise, in almost ten years. It seemed the others had remembered this as their grips became less restricting, more cautionary. Trowa extended a finger carefully into the bullet wound. Under them, the teen gasped and stiffened. Quatre moved his fingers in soft circles on Hunter's scalp, feeling the teen attempt to relax at the reassuring touch. Trowa suddenly moved his finger, causing Hunter to jerk and inhale. Duo, watching from the side-lines, could only feel helpless as Hunter squirmed.

"Duo. Do you still have a knife on hand?" he nodded warily. "Sterilize it for me, either over the fire or in the water. I can't get the bullet out with this small of a hole." Wufei smiled thinly as he saw Quatre attempting to relax their 'patient'.

"Hunter, have you ever swallowed a live fish?" Duo asked suddenly, grinning. Hunter, eyes half lidded, replied, "No. Nearly did, when I came here first. Didn't have fire, and was hungry. You ever eat raw snail?"

"Hm…nope. Hey Quat…ever danced around your house naked, just for the heck of it?" Quatre coughed.

"Can't say that I have…I don't suppose you have, Wufei?" Duo smiled from where he was heating his knife slowly. Have You Ever was a fun game to play, especially with the pilots. They knew each other well enough to ask the really embarrassing questions, but they knew when to back off a touchy subject.

"When I was two." Trowa snorted at Wufei's wry reply. "Trowa, have you ever purposely fallen off the high wire?" Duo slinked over to Trowa, giving him the blade. Quatre began massaging Hunter's temples in easy motions. Hunter yipped as Trowa extended the wound on either side, then slipped the point of the knife into his injury. The bullet popped out a moment later, followed by a gush of blood. Hunter thrashed wildly, fighting against Wufei and Heero. Quatre placed an arm around Hunter's throat, the teen stilling from instinct.

"Bullet's out. You okay, Hunter?"

"Hurt. Didn't like." Trowa pressed a rag to the wound, wrapping it tightly. When he was released, Hunter moved reluctantly from Quatre's soothing touch.

"Relax, kid." The green-eyed 'doctor' murmured, pressing him back down. Hunter blushed as Quatre resumed the massage, then relaxed. A low rumbling, rough and scratchy, radiated from Hunter's throat as he purred. Wufei quirked an eyebrow at Quatre who shrugged, smiling.

Don't make HUnter mad! Review!